5g Dr Archibald's " Curiosities of Dumfries." 



In the months of June and July they take an harrow 

 and go over the dry sands (which I have observed spangling- 

 as with shining nitre), and having raised it they raku it into 

 small ranges or areolas, and next day (if they fear rains) they 

 take a sled with a broad board fixed to the hinder part thereof 

 the edge downward upon the ground, which they call the happ, 

 and with this drawn by an horse they gather the ranges together 

 into an heap. Thereafter, within some few days, they carry it 

 away upon wagons drawn by eight oxen unto the coast, and 

 there they heap it up into the bigness of a country house, which 

 they then call the salt stalks. Thus it stands till winter, and 

 then they form an even piece of ground upon a little ascent, 

 either naturally or artificially so, after the form of a bed, which 

 they oblute with clay, raising the edges high, and near the end 

 of this bed (which they call the coach) they pierce through an 

 hole into an hollow place digged below into the earth, called the 

 pit, and this hole they stop. Then they carry a sufficient quantity 

 of the salt stack and spread it over the whole coach, laying it 

 three foot thick equally. Then they lay down upon the middle 

 of the sand a broad turf, and upon this they pour down a sufficient 

 quantity of sea water, which they take up from the little hollow 

 ponds they dig within the flood mark, being there left in the 

 ebbing, and, after eight hours' standing with the sand (which 

 they call " blanking "), they pull out the stopple below, which is 

 made up of oak or alder tree bark, and the water stills down into 

 the pit, wherewith they then fill their pans, which are placed 

 near the coach, and made of lead sitting upon a furnace. The 

 pan is usually an ell and a half long and near an ell broad. 

 The fire is of peits (peats), wherewith they exhale the water till 

 the salt only remains, watching most vigilantly, otherwise their 

 pans melt and they lose their pains. With this those people help 

 themselves, and serve the country alout them. 



It is made at that place called Ruthae Vallum or Ruthwall, 

 where that monument of stone is of which I did give account in 

 my first, which is said to have been erected by the Saxons, having 

 progressed no further into this country than that place, and that 

 thereafter by Christians inscribed with sculptures and characters. 



The salt is somewhat amaricant, which I suspect to be from 

 the nitre. 



On these lauds, as I remember, I have seen Kali grow thick, 



